Ink jet printer

Abstract

An ink jet printer capable of easily controlling a wiping unit, or cleaning unit, by use of driven members that pivot when they come into contact with a carriage. The ink jet printer is provided with first and second driven members that are disposed in association with a travel path of the carriage. The driven members selectively project into the travel path of the carriage. As a result of the carriage coming into contact with the first driven member, a wiper member moves to a projected position. As a result of the carriage's further movement toward the second driven member, the wiper member wipes a nozzle surface of a print head. Further, as a result of the carriage moving toward the second driven member, the wiper member wipes the nozzle surface of the print head. As a result of the carriage coming into contact with the second driven member, the wiper member moves to a standby position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An ink jet printer, comprising: a print head for ejecting ink droplets from nozzles;   a carriage;   carriage actuation means for linearly moving the carriage having the print head mounted thereon;   a wiper member which is movable between a projected position projected into a travel path of the print head and a standby position withdrawn from the travel path of the print head, which wipes a nozzle surface of the print head when it is situated at the projected position;   a first driven member and a second driven member disposed in association with the travel path of the carriage, and which selectively project into the travel path of the carriage; and   a control means which performs a control operation in such a way that the wiper member moves to the projected position as a result of the carriage coming into contact with the first driven member, that the wiper member wipes the nozzle surface of the print head as a result of the carriage traveling toward the second driven member, and that the wiper member moves to the standby position as a result of the carriage coming into contact with the second driven member, wherein the control means has a spring member for maintaining the first and second driven members in their states obtained after the carriage has come into contact with a respective one of the first driven member and the second driven member.   
     
     
       2. The ink jet printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means comprises a link member connecting the first driven member and the second driven member with each other and moving the wiper member between the projected position and the standby position. 
     
     
       3. The ink jet printer as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: an absorption member for sucking ink from within the print head; and   maintenance means joined to the control means for causing the absorption member to start an absorbing operation when the carriage comes into contact with the first driven member.   
     
     
       4. The ink jet printer as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a drive train, wherein the maintenance means has a cam member which rotates so as to cause the absorption member to perform an absorbing operation and the link member has a proterbance such that when the carriage comes into contact with the first driven member, the proterbance causes the drive train to be connected to the cam member to cause the cam member to rotate and when the carriage comes into contact with the second driven member, the cam member is disconnected from the gear train. 
     
     
       5. The ink jet printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first driven member is provided with a first contact portion and a first joint and the second driven member is provided with a second contact portion and a second joint. 
     
     
       6. The ink jet printer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second driven member is set in such a way that the angle between the second contact portion and the second joint is smaller than the angle defined between the first contact portion and the first joint, and the second driven member is disposed further away from the travel path of the carriage than the first driven member is disposed away from the same. 
     
     
       7. The ink jet printer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the link member has a first end connected to the first driven member and a second end connected to the second driven member, the second end is disposed further apart from the travel path of the carriage than the first end is disposed apart from the same. 
     
     
       8. The ink jet printer as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the carriage comes into contact with the first driven member, the link member moves toward the carriage so that the wiper member advances to project into the travel path of the print head, and when the carriage comes into contact with the second driven member, the link member is actuated to move away from the carriage so that the wiper member recedes to the standby position away from the travel path of the print head. 
     
     
       9. A print head cleaning apparatus for an ink jet printer having a carriage carrying the print head and reciprocating along a print path, comprising: a first driven member pivotally mounted to the ink jet printer;   a second driven member pivotally mounted to the ink jet printer and spaced apart from the first driven member;   a link member pivotally attached at a first end to the first driven member and at a second end to the second driven member;   a wiper blade movable from a first position clear of the print head moving along the print path to a second position inserted into the print path for scrape cleaning the print head; and   a lever mechanism between the link member and the wiper blade controlling whether the wiper blade is in the first position or the second position, wherein the second driven member is more remote from the print path than the first driven member.   
     
     
       10. The print head cleaning apparatus as claimed in claims 9, wherein the first driven member and the second driven member each comprise a joint and a contact portion, an angle formed between the joint and the contact portion of the first driven member being larger than the angle formed between the joint and the contact portion of the second driven member. 
     
     
       11. The print head cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein during printing the contact portion of the first driven member extends into an extension of the print path for contacting the carriage when cleaning occurs. 
     
     
       12. The print head cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein during printing the contact portion of the second driven member is withdrawn from the print path. 
     
     
       13. The print head cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: a pair of stoppers to limit a rotation range of the first driven member; and   a spring for maintaining the first driven member in position against a respective one of the stoppers.   
     
     
       14. The print head cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the lever mechanism comprises: a wiper lever pivotally mounted to the ink jet printer and in contact with the linking member; and   resilience means for urging the wiper lever against the linking member.   
     
     
       15. The print head cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the wiper lever is pivotally mounted at one end to the ink jet printer and the wiper blade is pivotally mounted to an opposite end of the wiper lever, longitudinal axes of the linking member and the wiper lever being at substantially right angles to one another. 
     
     
       16. The print head cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising: a drive source;   a cleaning mechanism driven by the drive source; and   a gear train linking the drive source and the cleaning mechanism, comprising:   a slide gear continuously engaged with the drive source;   an idle gear continuously engaged with the cleaning mechanism; and   means for engaging and disengaging the slide gear with the idle gear.   
     
     
       17. The print head cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the linking member further comprises a protuberance contacting the slide gear to cause the slide gear to engage the idle gear. 
     
     
       18. The print head cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the means for disengaging the slide gear is a coil spring.